Sunday, 7 September 2014

Iron Kingdoms: Only Fools Come Back - Episode 4

Right, so it was time to return to Corvis, without a barge, they had to swim with of the hideout then along the river's edge until they could climb up on land and walk, wet and cold, to town.

When they arrived, they saw that the town was burning, the walls and gate were destroyed while the area around was filled with broken warjacks and corpses, the ground was also filled with ash, likely from the steam powered 'jacks, but this amount was strange.

Inside the gates, people ran around, busy trying to repair things and tend to the injured. In the middle of the first square was a huge pile of steamjacks. While the rest of the group went around gathering information and helping, Solomon climbed up on the pile of jacks and saw that it was more a wall around a person, who was emitting some sort of energy but completely froze. Solomon climbed down to him from the top of the wall of steamjacks and touched him, this activated something that sent him flying with incredible force, through the wall of broken steamjacks, through 2 buildings and into a broken shop, where he got injured that made him permanenty scarred (another -1 to social skills and +1 to intimidate).

However, because of the touch, he had seen through the eyes of the person, what had happened. Khador was attacking, the steamjacks emitting more steam and ash than normal, causing everyone go to into a frenzy, murdering everyone and destroying everything. The person felt an increasing emotion of anger, untill he snapped, somehow drawing upon arcane energies to telekineticly throw khadorans and steamjacks around like they were ragdolls, the energy was ever increasing and the steamjacks were piling on the person to stop him, but his power reached its peak where it exploded, leaving him an empty shell, as well as a statue.

The others in the group learned this through the tales of survivors, some said that the person had failed a ascension, while others say it must be a failed Scioning... both the brother morrow and sister thamar wanted him as their avatar but none of them got him, which left him like that.

After recovering enough to visit the charter house, they discovered that it was damaged and now had to find a new one, a few quick questions about the leaders of the charter they heard that they were connected to the attack and had ran away towards Llael. (so the PCs shut up about their affiliation with the charter).

But they had no money, so the best way to get some was doing work, The new guard lieutenant would likely have some work, and also give them any pardon to their links to the charter, so off they went to earn some money.

The sergeant from their first campaign (only fools rush in) met them and said that they had too much to do now due to criminals exploiting the situation, the civvies are panicing,, and plenty of the south-western wall of the town lies in ruins. But he believes that the former lieutenant might be involved or know something due to his corruption, so he lets the PCs visit the broken watchtower, where the corrupted lieutenant sits in the basement, in a jail cell.

The PCs easily finds the cell and ignores the other prisoners, however, through the bars of the cell, they see that the far wall is broken and there is noone in the cell... dammit, he had escaped. Quickly they followed suit and found a small shantytown, set up in the larger parts of the sewers, a few large buildings were here, a small rundown pub, beggars everywhere, and the general air that this is not somewhere they should be. People in poor places is desperate, and desperate people do easily make misstakes, which could cost the PCs.

Anyway, they ignored the people here and walked towards the pub. When they got close, they heard someone from the second floor shout "200 gold" to whomever get rid of these fools!". A fight broke out, The gobber, Goda Hoblock was standing on a small, thin pier next to one that was about to draw his dagger, So Goda poked him with the rapiere in the bum and made him fall forwards, into the sewage about 3 meters below.

The rest fought off the beggars and thugs with somewhat ease, When Ichabod put enough supressive on the former lieutenant to make him retreat, they followed him into the building, encountered one of the massive ogrun bouncers, but Blaze managed to tackle him off the second floor to allow the rest to pass.

They found the lieutenant in a small hook, who had just enough time to activate a bomb before prepareing to defend it, while shouting "you will never take me alive, I'll be sure to take all of you with me"... a few more cursewords is included but I cant remember what was used. Goda was here at the time, along with the dwarf stone sorcerer, while the dwarf used stonestance (all friendlies in his command range ignores knockdown), earthquake (everyone in his command range is knocked down), and pickaxe (boosted damage against knocked down targets), the lieutenant went down (but not dead) quickly enough, while Goda tried to disarm the bomb, when he remember... "No machine Goda knows ".

They all legged it, with everyone but 1 person being able to get far enough, it should also be mentioned that Solomon the flame sorceror at this time choose to run away from the party, to a different place in the sewers.

Spike the trollkin fellcaller (Blaze's new character) was too slow and knew he was going to be crushed by several tonnes of stone, Goda (the gunmage's new character) also failed, but Spike used his last actions to pick up Goda and throw him to safery, shouting something like "be save little one". Before being crused as the explotion brought down the pub along with supports, causing the roof of the sewers to collapse.

The PCs made their way back through the lieutenant's cell and out, where the guardsmen and sergeant was standing, quite annoyed at the situation but not suspecting the PCs. They did however notice some spells being flung back and forth across this large hole that had appeared in the middle of the docks, revealing parts of the sewers below.